You’ve probably noticed them zipping around on the streets, electric vehicles are no longer a rare sight. Over the past decade, they’ve quietly become a go-to option for cleaner, greener travel. But while EVs are gaining ground, there’s still a gap when it comes to keeping them running. That’s because not many people are trained to fix or maintain them—yet. This week, that’s changing. Technicians from across the region are in Belize City, getting hands-on training at the Institute for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Belize is taking bold steps toward a cleaner, more modern future and it started with a quiet hum. Last month, the Belize City Council rolled out the e-Ride taxi service, giving residents a new way to get around quietly, cleanly, and sustainably. It’s the latest move following last year’s launch of electric buses. But while the city is charging ahead, many drivers across the region are still pumping the brakes. High costs and a lack of trained mechanics are keeping electric vehicles from going mainstream. That’s why this week, technicians from across the region are gathering at ITVET in Belize City to get hands-on training in EV maintenance.
Kevin Grant, Trainer
“ I have a passion for renewable energy and anything green and is always a joy to share that knowledge with people, whether local, regional, or international.”
Britney Gordon
“What are some of the topics that are being covered during this training specifically?”
“Specifically as you have the internal combustion engine and then you have your hybrid or your electrical. So what we want to do in the first case is make sure participants have a firm understanding of the internal combustion engine, and we explain the slight differences between the internal combustion engine versus the hybrid and the electric vehicles.”
This week, a regional training effort is bringing together minds and mechanics from across the Caribbean. It’s a powerful collaboration between Belize’s own Institute for Technical and Vocational Education, the University of Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago’s National Energy Skill Training Center. And for Jamaican technical trainer Emele Clarke, it’s more than just a workshop, it’s an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of sustainable transport in the region.
Emele Clarke, Participant
“ It’s so far, so good. Being here in the EV environment or the EV era of electric vehicles, it has been full of knowledge where we can pass on. I’m also a technical trainer in Jamaica, so I’m carrying back all of this wealth of knowledge that I will gain here right in Belize back home to my country. That’s Jamaica to impart to my students as a trainer.”
Grant, who has been working with electric vehicles and other forms of renewable energy for almost a decade, says this training is a key step towards popularizing the vehicles in the region.
Kevin Grant
“So a lot of people are hesitant to buy electric vehicles because they are of the belief there is no one to maintain them. And this training here is really a train the trainer where we will expose these trainers present and they will now go back and teach their students to make them well equipped to deal with both hybrid and electric vehicles.”
Emele Clarke
“It’s good to share information go to communicate with each other, good to learn from all the manufacturers that have been in the vehicles and our safety. Safety is one of the most important things with honest to this hybrid and EV. So safety first. What sort of safety steps to take to end knowledge and to embrace it and to move forward with the era of EV and hybrid.”
Participants were not only educated in how to maintain these vehicles but were exposed to different models that may not be available in their country yet.
“Other parts of the Caribbean get different types of make vehicles. For example, now we have a dual here where in my country we don’t have it. We must have our BYD, we can have our MG, right? So it’s different type of matter vehicles, but it’s good to share knowledge and that’s what I’m doing now, sharing knowledge for everyone else.”
About twenty technicians are participating in the week-long training, and by Grant’s assessment, they have been high performers.
“What has the feedback been like thus far in terms of participation? Are they receptive? Are they learning and really, gathering the skills that you’re trying to impart on them?”
Kevin Grant
“I would say yes. They’re very receptive. They’re very motivated and hopefully, they can make a positive impact in the CARICOM region.”
The regional electric vehicle workshop wraps up this Friday, and then the journey continues. Trainers will be packing up their toolkits and heading to the next stop: Grenada. Britney Gordon for News Five.